GW Pharmaceuticals drug could become first FDA-approved drug derived from marijuana plant

An advisory panel to the Food and Drug Administration recommended the agency approve what could become the first prescription drug in the U.S. derived from the marijuana plant, as a treatment for people with rare forms of epilepsy.

A committee on Thursday voted 13-0 that the risk-benefit profile was favorable for GW Pharmaceuticals PLC’s drug, cannabidiol, to treat seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome or Dravet syndrome in patients 2 years of age and older. The rare disorders involve frequent or difficult-to-treat...